Combined sucker rod coupling and guide



March 19, '1935. J. J. FRTZPATRICK 1,995,095

COMBINED SUCKER ROD COUPLING AND GUIDE Filed March 31, 1934 M W INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY PatentedfJVlar. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Jeremiah J. Fitzpatrick, Tulsa, Okla.

Application March 31,

8 Claims.

In the production of oil in certain localities where excessive parafiin content is present difficulty is encountered due to the accumulation of this paramn on the wall of the tubing at the points in the tubing assembly exposed to extremely low temperatures which exist in depths "ranging from 800 to 3,000 feet. Where preventative measures are not taken the accumulation of paraflin insome instances becomes so excessive as to effect the lift or flow of the oil to such an extent as to render a stripping job necessary. The time and labor consumed in the stripping of a well which includes the removal of both the tubing and the rod and the melting of the paraffin from these parts tends in many instances to materially increase the cost of production of the oil.

It is the practice in the production of oil, in instances where natural flow is impossible to equip a well with pumping facilities which includes a tubing of smaller size than the casing, a working barrel or pump on the bottom of the tubing, and a sucker rod which connects the travelling valve in the barrel or pump, to the top of the oil well where suitable power is applied which reciprocates the rod and valve and lifts the fluid. The sucker rod in conventional equipment is formed in sections of approximately twenty-five feet in length which are secured together by two well known methods. Either the rods are made with a threaded pin on each .end which cooperate with short double threaded box couplings of the same size as the end of the rod, or the rods are provided with a threaded pin. on one end and a threaded box on the other so that the alternate rod ends can be coupled.

The actual pumping operation is hindered and unnecessary expense incurred due to the natural or foreign condition of the oil, the depth of the well or the misalignment of the same. As previously stated, some wells have an excessive parafiin content which tends to adhere to the inner wall of the tubing. Other wells have an excessive loadstone content which crystallizes the rod. In instances where the well is crooked the rod necessarily engages the tubing wall and perforates the latter in a very short time.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a structure in the nature of a sucker rod coupling, of integral construction which when positioned between the joints of the sucker rod will not interfere with the flow of the fluid but will function to effect the removal of the accumulating paraflin, act as a guide to space the sucker rod from the tubing to eliminate the wear 1934; Serial No. 718,469

upon all parts at points of contact, and eliminate the slap of the rod within the tubing upon reversal of motion thus preventing the snapping of crystallized rods.

-In addition to the foregoing the present invention will tend to initiate the lift of the oil upon the upward movement of the rod and thereby partially equalize the rod strain and relieve the traveling valve of some of its load.

Other objects and features will appear by reference to the accompanying drawing and specification forming part of this application, and

wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Fig. '1 is a side elevation showing the invention positioned within a tubing, the latter being insection. Fig. 2 is a side elevation partially in section.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation showing the upper end of the coupling with a pin assembly.

In Fig. 1 the tubing is indicated by reference character A and the sucker rod sections by the reference character B. The sucker rod sections B in the form illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 may terminate at their extremities in screw threaded tapered pins C which threaded pins are received within the internally threaded tapered boxes provided at the ends of the coupling which constitutes the subject-matter of the present application. This coupling is an integral structure and includes an intermediate tubular guide portion 10, coupling members 11 and 12 and spaced webs 14, connecting the guide portion 10 with the coupling members. In the present illustration the spaced webs 14, which may beof any desired number, extend from each end of the guide body 10, in aligned pairs, and are axially arranged with respect to the same. As shown clearly in Figure 3 the webs 14 are ,of greater thicknessthan the wall of the guide 10, so that the connecting web portions 15 form reinforcing ribs on the inner surface of the guide 10. Inasmuch as thecoupling members 11 and 12 are of substantially less diameter than the guide portion 10 the extremities of the connecting webs 14 are exposed and to free these parts from engagement with obstructions on the inner face of the tubing inclined faces 16 are formed which connect with shoulders 17. The shoulders 17 present cutting faces which, together with the angular cutting faces 18 formed at the ends of the guide body 10 between each pair of spaced webs 14 assist in the removal of the paraffin. It will-be noted that the inclined cutting faces 18 form a V-shaped shearing structure between each pair of connecting webs and that these cutting faces are beveled rearwardly to facilitate the operation.

It will be noted that by the present construction the operation of the intermediate tubular guide portion is materially increased by the connecting webs 14, in that the outer surfaces of these webs 14 are flush with the outer surface of the guide portion 10 and form a continuation of same, thus creating enlarged contact areas between these parts and the inner surface of the tubing. This together with the provision of the ribs or connecting web portions 15 adds greatly to the strength and durability of the parts.

It is also pointed out that by the construction and arrangement described the fluidis presented with a free and unobstructed passage between the spaced webs and through the central tubular guide member. There has also been accomplished the spacing of the sucker rod from the tubing wall, so that in instances where the hole is crooked, wear is eliminated and in the removal of the sucker rod the accumulation of paraflin does not impede the work.

In order to provide 'a suitably wear resisting surface for the coupling its outer surface is heat treated, hardened and ground. This finished surface avoids wear that would otherwise result from the contact between the coupling and the tubing, particularly at points where the tubing is slightly out of alignment due to a crooked hole.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A paraffln scraper section for a sucker rod string comprising two connecting members rigidly secured together solely by longitudinal ribs having their outer surfaces lying in a cylindrical surface and an annular body portion connecting the ribs intermediate their ends and flush with their external surfaces.

2. A parafiin scraper in accordance with claim 1 in which the longitudinal ribs have inner portions projecting inwardly of the inner surface of the annular body portion.

3. A paramn scraper'in accordance with claim 1 in which the ends of the annular body portion are provided with cutting edges between the longitudinal ribs.

4. A paraffin scraper section for a sucker rod string comprising two connecting members rigidly secured together solely by longitudinal ribs having their outer surfaces lying in a cylindrical surface, and an annular body portion connecting the ribs intermediate their ends and flush with their external surfaces, and said annular body portion being provided with angular shearing faces between the longitudinal ribs.

5. A paraflin scraper section for a sucker rod string comprising two connecting members rigidly secured together solely by longitudinal ribs having their outer surfaces lying in a cylindrical surface, and an annular body portion connecting the ribs intermediate their ends and flush with their external surfaces, said annular body portion being provided at each end with V-shaped cutting edges between each of the ribs and having inwardly inclined receding faces.

6. A paraflin scraper in accordance with claim 1 in which the longitudinal ribs have cutting edges at their remote ends.

'7. A sucker rod coupling comprising, a tubular body portion, circumferentially spaced ribs ex? tending longitudinally and having outer surfaces lying in the cylindrical continuation of the outer surface of said tubular body portion from both ends of said tubular body portion, and the remote ends of said ribs terminating in rod connecting members for engaging the ends of adjacent rod sections, said ribs forming with the tubular body portion the sole connection between said connecting members.

8. In a sucker rod coupling, including an annular body portion, having connecting elements consisting of integral circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending ribs having their outer surfaces lying in the cylindrical continuation of the outer surface of said annular body portion and terminating beyond the ends of the annular body portion, and said ribs at their remote ends terminating in rod connecting elements and forming with the annular body portion the sole connection between said elements.

" JEREMIAH J. FITZPATRICK. 

